Alternating Temperature Epidermal Cell Extraction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for extracting epidermal cells, such as enzymatic digestion, often result in longer digestion times, lower cell yields, and reduced cell survival and activity rates, limiting their effectiveness in clinical applications.

Innovation Solution

A method involving alternating high-temperature and low-temperature digestion conditions is used to extract epidermal cells, which includes soaking skin tissues in a digestive juice and alternating between digestion temperatures of 25° C to 40° C and 0° C to 10° C, significantly reducing extraction time while increasing the yield, survival rate, and activity of the cells.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If enzymatic digestion method is used at constant temperature, then the digestion process is simple to operate, but the digestion time is long and cell extraction amount is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedigestion process simplicityVSAvoidcell extraction amount
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamic temperature control by alternating between high temperature (37°C) and low temperature (4°C) digestion conditions. This dynamic approach replaces the static constant temperature method, enabling the system to achieve both operational simplicity and high productivity. The alternating temperature cycles allow for efficient cell extraction while maintaining ease of operation through automated temperature switching.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements periodic action through cyclic alternation of high and low temperature digestion phases. Each cycle consists of a high-temperature digestion phase followed by a low-temperature phase, repeated multiple times. This periodic temperature variation significantly increases cell extraction amount compared to constant temperature methods, while the standardized cycle structure maintains operational simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

2Productivity

If high-temperature digestion is used, then cell extraction amount increases, but cell survival rate decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell extraction amountVSAvoidcell survival rate
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses dynamic temperature switching to balance cell extraction and survival. By alternating between high temperature (for extraction) and low temperature (for protection), the system achieves high cell extraction amounts while maintaining high survival rates. The low-temperature phases act as recovery periods that protect cells from thermal damage during high-temperature digestion.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The low-temperature phases serve as protective cushioning between high-temperature exposure periods. This beforehand cushioning allows cells to recover and reduces thermal stress damage, ensuring high survival rates even when high-temperature digestion is used to maximize extraction amounts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

3Stability of the object's composition

If constant-temperature digestion is used, then the process is stable and easy to control, but digestion time is long

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedigestion process stabilityVSAvoiddigestion time
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies periodic action through cyclic temperature alternation between high and low phases. This periodic approach significantly reduces total digestion time compared to constant temperature methods, while the standardized cycle structure and automated control maintain process stability and ease of control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system transitions from static constant temperature to dynamic alternating temperature control. The dynamic approach accelerates the digestion process by utilizing high-temperature phases for rapid cell separation, while automated temperature switching maintains operational stability and simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Reliability

If low-temperature digestion is used, then cell survival rate is maintained, but cell extraction amount is low

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecell survival rateVSAvoidcell extraction amount
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses dynamic temperature alternation where low-temperature phases protect cell survival while high-temperature phases maximize extraction. This dynamic switching resolves the contradiction by ensuring cells experience both protective low-temperature periods and efficient high-temperature extraction periods, achieving both high survival rates and high extraction amounts.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The periodic alternation between low-temperature protection phases and high-temperature extraction phases allows the system to accumulate cell extraction over multiple cycles while maintaining cell viability. Each low-temperature phase preserves cell integrity, while subsequent high-temperature phases increase extraction, resulting in both high survival rates and high productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach shortens digestion time by 2-3 times, increases cell extraction by 4-20 times, enhances survival rate by 1.13-1.21 times, and boosts cell activity by 1.13-1.29 times compared to constant-temperature methods, resulting in a higher quality epidermal cell suspension suitable for clinical research and treatments.

Implementation Method 1

soaking skin tissues in a digestive juice, and obtaining an epidermal cell suspension through alternate use of a high-temperature digestion condition and a low-temperature digestion condition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectEnzymatic digestion: Enzyme

Implementation Method 2

a digestion environment in the digestive juice involves alternation of the high-temperature digestion condition and the low-temperature digestion condition

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal effect on enzymatic activity: Heating

Implementation Method 3

performing digestion at 25° C. to 40° C. for 0.1 h to 2 h and then at 0° C. to 10° C. for 0.1 h to 2 h, and then performing digestion under the above conditions alternately

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal shock: Thermal Shock

Data Source

PatentUS20240392242A1Method for extracting epidermal cells
Publication Date: 2024.11.28 HANGZHOU SINGCLEAN MEDICAL PROD

AI summary

The present disclosure discloses a method for extracting epidermal cells. The method includes soaking skin tissues in a digestive juice, and obtaining an epidermal cell suspension through alternate use of a high-temperature digestion condition and a low-temperature digestion condition. The method can be used for clinical research or treatment of burns, scalds, pigmentation and hypopigmentation, ulcers, aesthetic dermatology and the like. Through adjusting the digestion conditions of the skin tissues, the method separate the epidermis from the dermis within a relatively short time, and have the advantages of extracting epidermal cells in large amount, high survival rate and high activity. The extracted epidermal cells are applicable to various clinical indications.